Number Neighbors/Text Door Neighbors

A game where kids and adults are calling or texting people who share their phone number, but the last number is +/- 1. For example, if your phone number is (202) 555-0191, your number neighbors/text door neighbors would be (202) 555-0190 and (202) 555-0192.

Why is it popular?

This trend has blown up in the last week because a person claimed their number neighbor was celebrity Chris Evans. Even though Chris Evans confirmed it was fake, celebrities like Bebe Rexa have hopped on the trend in the hopes of surprising their number neighbor with a delightful celeb encounter.

Pros:

• Interactions are relatively harmless
• Most common response is “Wrong number”

Cons:

• Kids are contacting strangers
• There has only been one major report of a violent negative encounter, but the trend is just a couple weeks old

Tik Tok

A movie-making app that allows users to quickly film and edit short lip sync videos (3 to 15 seconds) and short looping videos (3 to 60 seconds). Users film themselves dancing to music clips, lip-syncing to famous movie quotes, or just generally being silly. The app has been rated 12+ in the Apple app store due to its mature content and information settings.

Why is it popular?

Just like photo filter apps, they allow users to get creative and just have fun using only their phones.

Pros:

• Due to their short nature, the content is usually light and funny
• Offers a creative outlet for kids to pass the time

Cons:

• There have been major issues with sexual comments on public videos, particularly those featuring young girls
• It has been referred to as a “hunting ground” for predators
• Many people are not aware of the age restriction, and young users continue to ignore it
• Even though the community guidelines are clearly laid out, appropriate content is not always guaranteed

Fortnite

A multiplayer shooter-survival game with 3 different modes (“Fortnite: Save the World,” “Fortnite Battle Royale,” and “Fortnite Creative”). All modes involve collecting materials to build structures (similar to Minecraft), teamwork, and “mild violence” shooter-style gameplay that has earned it a Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating of 12+. However, as of June 2019, Minecraft is catching up to Fortnite’s popularity again and may overcome it in the coming months.

Why is it popular?

Fortnite’s popularity exploded into the gaming world, with its second mode drawing in over 125 million players in less than a year. Celebrities like Drake and athletes like Juju Smith-Schuster have been known to play regularly. There have even been tournaments and Esport competitions.

Pros:

• Multi-player gaming can build a sense of community and teamwork
• Some educational value can be argued
• Kids can learn socialization skills and strategy

Cons:

• Contact with strangers/reports of predators
• As with most games, it poses a major concern for distraction
• Level of violence may differ by opinion
• Addictive design